


Leftfield

by Control_Room, Random_ag



Series: Tortured Tales [18]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: (its all good here), Bars and Pubs, Bi Person Re-Learns that People are Hot, Blackmail, Desire To Murder, Embarrassment, Growth, Healing, Hookup bars, Humor, Kisses, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Personal Growth, Soft Ending, Spoilers For TBP, bi panic, fluster, mention of cheating, mention of infidelity/cheating, rated mature for sensual themes, testing someone for their integrity, using past relationships as leverage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:08:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27679198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Control_Room/pseuds/Control_Room, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_ag/pseuds/Random_ag
Summary: Shawn blackmails Henry into coming to a bar with him.Unfortunately for the doctor, it's a hookup bar.
Relationships: (past), Joey Drew/Henry Stein, Shawn Flynn/Henry Stein, Shawn Flynn/Willy Franks
Series: Tortured Tales [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023520
Kudos: 3





	Leftfield

“We are _not_ going to a bar, Shawn.”

“Why not? Ye too much of a chicken?” Shawn grinned, flapping his elbows out like said bird. “Brawk brawk brawk!”

The doctor glared at him through eyes reduced to slits, brows furrowed. On one hand, he was _not_ a coward (well, he was, but regarding feelings, not dares). On the other, he was very much more invested in, you know, being a husband (soon, the ring in his pocket reminded) and father and also not relapsing into old bad habits involving alcohol consumption. On the _other_ other hand, it would only be once, not like it would become constant. Drinking in moderation is healthy, after all.

He shook his head, snapping out of that train of thought.

“I'll have you know,” he hissed, “that I had to wrap one of Johan’s savage beasties in a teapot cover and stitch that shut like a severely undercooked burrito so that it would not eat its own flesh because it went mad with a craving for meat after mauling and completely devouring a goddamn _rat._ So, _thank you_ for the compliment.”

The Irishman responded with a frozen expression torn between mildly amused and having just been struck by an invincible terror.

“Well, I’ll have _you_ know,” Shawn said, smirking, leaning close to whisper, “You’ll be comin’ with me to the bar t’night whether ya want to or not.”

“I think I will decline.”

“Then I think I'll tell everybody about that time you and I…” Shawn leaned even closer to whisper even softer in Henry’s ear, “made out in b’tween the toy shelves.” 

A knee-jerk reaction was to immediately strangle him for his insolence. Fortunately for Flynn, Henry had something he lacked: the ability to feel shame and, more importantly, embarrassment.

The doctor, after paling to the color of pearls, colored himself a deep crimson and gaped aimlessly like a fish struggling out of water, earthlike eyes massive and shocked.

“We didn’t.” he denied desperately, looking around to check if they were alone and pointing his finger towards him as if to threaten him. “We didn’t.”

“Aye, but we did,” Shawn finally leaned back, grinning like a fox. “We did, remember, it was before Wills an’ I got together, and ye were with Diane still--”

“No,” Henry pleaded, still maroon. “We didn’t, Shawn, no.”

“Oh, an’ ye and I were workin’ here, you designin’ some toy or another, and I had gone out with a fella the night before and complained he wasn’t a good kisser--”

“God, Shawn--” Henry covered his face.

“An’ you told me that no guys are good kissers, and I leaned to you, like this,” Shawn, still grinning, did as he said. “To ask you, ‘wanna bet’?”

“Damnit, shut it!” Henry demanded. “Stop, Shawn! We didn’t!”

“You got all red, like ye are now,” Shawn’s grin was even wider. “And all flustered and I said ‘I’ll take that as a yes’, and then I took you like this,” his finger swirled into Henry’s tie, “Over there ta the shelves. And. You. Loved. It.” 

“I did not love it, it was--!” the doctor almost cried out, but his eyes went wide before he could finish his words, and slapped a hand over his mouth. He, bright red and knowing his game was up, felt his hand slide down his mouth. “It was different.”

“What was that about us not makin’ out, Stein?” Shawn asked with a large shiteating grin. “I love squeezin’ confessions out of people, Henry. You should know that.”

“Damn you.”

“So! About that bar… made up your mind?”

“Fine,” Henry snarled, still pink. “But you’re paying.”

“You got yourself a deal.” Shawn smugly replied, and kissed Ray’s cheek with an overdramatized: “Mwah!”

“Mother fucker,” Henry muttered as he stormed away to let Joey know where he would be going for the night. “Goddamn mother fucker.” 

***

“A bar?” Johan’s brows shot up, worried. “A bar, Ray?”

“It’s not my choice,” Ray sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I won’t drink. I promise.”

“Ah, well,” Johan rubbed his wrist. “Okay. I t-trust you. Thank you for telling me….”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

‘I won’t break that trust,’ Henry vowed in his mind.

***

Shawn was a bastard. A small, handsome, charming, fiendish bastard.

Ray stared straight into the table as if he could turn to wood himself merely by observing the gestalt of the material, and becoming one with it.

All around him were gorgeous guys and stunning ladies and beautiful people, _all_ single, _all_ eager for an adventure meant to last a few minutes, a single night, or a longer time. A hookup bar. Of all the bars in the city, it had to be a hookup bar. 

He spared a couple dagger-like glares to Shawn, who looked as if he was having the time of his life on the dance floor, surrounded by a couple dozen good looking people, flashing a mischievous grin every now and then to the lone suffering doctor. 

“Hey,” a rough accented voice intoned behind said doctor, startling him slightly and jump starting his heart into a hum. A slim, well built, tanned young man held out to him a can of soda. “I didn’t know if you drank. Mind if I take a seat?”

Technically, yes. Yes, he would have minded, and he would have told the stranger very politely that he had been dragged here against his wish and knowledge, that he had a soon-to-be-fiancé (who happened to look quite a lot like this handsome new acquaintance) and seven kids and that he could not have been less interested in seeking any other relationship.

He made a gesture towards the chair opposite him, face slightly heated: “Sure thing.”

“You looked all lonesome sittin’ here by yourself,” what _was_ that accent? It made his stomach twist in a big bundle of knots. He pushed towards Ray the can. “Thought I’d give you some company.”

“Oh, that’s really nice of you,” Henry remarked, glad for the dim lights as he took the drink, popping it open and making sure to listen for the fizz to double check it was not drugged. “I kinda got roped into coming here.”

“By who? That fella on the dance floor over there?” the stranger pointed to Shawn going wild. “You two sounda little alike, thought you might be friends.”

“You got it.” Henry was surprised. The guy in front of him was really clever. “He’s. Uh.”

“Usually a friend but not tonight?” the other laughed. “Because he made you come here?”

“Yeah,” Henry grinned, feeling a little better. He shook his head, remembering his manners. “Oh, heck, I’m Henry. Henry Stein.”

“I’m Theo. It’s nice to meet you, Henry.”

Henry slammed down the fluttering in his stomach. No. He was not going to swing with someone, not tonight. Not ever again. Still, he smiled and nodded, to maintain integrity. 

A woman appeared by their table, looking perturbed, and sat next to them both, taking the last chair available.at their table.

Henry, noticing the expression on her face, turned to her.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked her, feeling the need to make sure all was good. She nodded stiffly. “Are you sure? I’m a doctor, if someone hurt you--”

“Oh, no, it’s not that,” she assured them, smiling. Henry’s heart did a small flip. She was a beautiful specimen of the fair sex, ebony skin reflecting the lights of the bar wonderfully, and her smile was like a bolt of lightning. “I just got stood up.”

“That’s awful,” Henry sympathised, subconsciously reaching for her hand to assure her. “Here, I’ll buy you a drink. Would that help at all?”

“Ooh, my hero,” she giggled, already looking better than when she stormed over. Henry held back a smirk with her comment. “I’ll take whatever you offer.”

Henry, with Shawn’s tab, let her know she could pick whatever she wanted.

“Generous, too?” her eyebrows went up, hand curling a bit in his. “Gosh, that’s sweet of you!”

He puffed his chest slightly, like an overconfident cockerel (which, in all fairness, he kind of was) while his other new table mate read the list of drinks to choose something that suited her fancy.

“Do you want anything, Theo?” Henry offered. “Anything you want is on the table.”

“Well, I wouldn't say you are _on_ the table, but…” Theo replied with a large, amused smile “I wouldn’t mind if you were. I wouldn’t mind at all.”

It was a good thing that Ray had not drunk anything, otherwise he might have choked on it. In his chest, the nervous knotting he had only just managed to stifle roared back to life, flushing his cheeks. He hardly noticed when the lady’s drink had arrived, and she sipped it with a slight smirk.

“I don’t think I’d mind either,” she chimed, and laughed. Henry’s heart thumped. “Well boys, I’m Patricia. You’re Theo?”

“Yup. And he’s Henry,” the other nodded.

She crossed her curved legs and tilted her head to get a better look at him, accidentally causing an oxygen shortage in Ray's brain, one that told him a fact he knew well. Lady hot. He swallowed roughly, and sipped from the soda Theo had kindly given him. This, in turn, drove his gaze to said man, reminding him that there was also an equally important truth: guy hot.

He was caught up between two fires and had no white flag to wave and surrender.

“Heya, cuties,” a voice purred near Henry’s ear, nearly making him jump. “I’m Jess. There aren’t any more seats and I’ve just danced my ass off, so I’ll take the most comfortable looking seat here.”

Without another word, the person settled themself on Henry’s lap with a contented hum, making him explode red. Patricia and Theo chuckled at his colored face, so bright of a shade of scarlet that it glowed like a neon, defying the dim lighting of the bar.

_Three_ fires. He was caught up in _three_ fires, and each was hotter than the last. Oh good God. He was not going to survive.

The jaunty gentlethem that had made their seat on top of his thighs flashed him an endearing, yet extremely flirtatious smirk. Ray had no idea how to reply, eyes darting feverishly left and right in search of a point in his field of vision where he could focus that did not have an attractive person within and lower the adrenaline pouring restlessly into each of his limbs (which he could not locate), and also quell the blood rushing to places where he could have done without (and hoped was not so noticeable). He wished they did not sit so close so that he would have been able to calm himself down because holy fucking shit.

“What's the matter, darling?” they asked as they wrapped an arm around his neck, their long, long legs turning to give them the ability to face him a little better, “Did little old me intimidate you with my dazzling looks? And here I was thinking you were happy to see me.”

Their hand trailed down his chest, and he really wished he kept on his sweater, or at least his lab coat, but Shawn insisted he take it off, saying that too much clothes did not suit the bar. 

They grinned, and his brain short circuited. People hot. People very very hot. Oh fuck. Fucking heaven.

“Aren’t you?”

“I. I. I. I.” Henry brokenly wheezed. Holy fucking shit. Fucking Shawn. Fucking Shawn bringing him to this bar. Damn him to hell and back, and then all the way back to hell. As soon as he got his hands on his evil little shitty bastard body he would have defenestrated him.

Theo was respectfully looking away not to humiliate him by cackling directly in his face. Patricia was drowning in her drink, if her bubbling laughter was any indication.

“Well fuck you and you,” Henry gasped. The other two burst into even harder laughter, and the newest member of the ‘Torturing Henry’ club cuddled against his chest, giggling, and rose an eyebrow, and asked sweetly, “Will you fuck me too?”

“No!” Henry choked, and then darkened. “I mean- I won’t uh- I’m in a relationship, see--”

“Awww,” Patricia frowned, making puppy eyes. “Are you sure you can’t give us a night? Just one night?”

“Miss, I’m really flattered, I really am,” Henry told her honestly, “But I’ve gotten in trouble once, and made a horrible mess because of it, and I don’t want to do it again.”

“That’s a pity,” Jess sighed, stretching up to nip at his earlobe, and he tried his damnedest not to implode right then and there. “But we can make sure you won’t get caught….”

“No, no, it's not a matter of getting caught-- Listen, you're all gorgeous, I won't lie, but I can't do this to my partner-- I've done him dirty once, I don't- I can't do this to him….”

Henry bit his lip and looked down shamefully, then back up. 

“I can’t, and won’t. I hope it doesn’t bother you all.”

Three pairs of eyes (one pleading to him to understand, two eagerly waiting for his reaction) settled on Theo. His own darted back and forth between the three of them, a hand trying to conceal a wobbling smile. He could not handle the pressure: he bowed his head and shook it between the dismayed groans of his partners in crime.

“I can't do this!” the man said, raising his hands in defeat, cheeks hurting from laughing, pounding the table, wiping at his eyes. “I can't, I'm sorry! Holy shit this was great, but we’ve gotta call it off now, I can't do it.”

“Weak link!” Patricia joked.

“What can I say, I'm a sentimental non-romantic, I can't break up a couple!”

“Dude’s not giving, anyways,” Jess leaned against Henry, grinning.

Ray’s brow furrowed.

“Game’s up,” Theo told the other two. “Let Shawn know that he passed.”

“This was a set up?!” Henry bellowed, rising to his feet, Jess getting up with a flourish and a cackle of laughter, darting off to inform Shawn, and also to tell him that he should probably run for his life. Henry spotted his fleeing Irish ass and bolted after him, fully intending to murder him in cold blood. “SHAWN YOU SON OF A BITCH! GET BACK HERE YOU MOTHER FUCKER!”

Patricia ordered the three seducers-for-hire another round at Shawn’s expense, and they cheered between giggles.

***

Henry tackled Shawn at his doorstep, as the man fumbled with his keys. 

“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!” he seethed, grasping the man by his collar. 

“Wait wait wait wait--!” the Irish devil begged, finally knowing the horror of how a mouse cornered by a chicken feels, “It was for a good cause!”

“For a good cause?! FOR A GOOD CAUSE?!” Ray roared in his face, shaking him, “I had a hard on! In fucking public! I have never, ever been so embarrassed in my whole goddamn life!”

“Oh come on, Henry, everybody's had that lil’ surprise public turgescence at least one time--”

“If you say that word again I will cut your tongue out and feed it to Johan’s chickens.”

“A'ight, fair--”

“--AND IF YOU TRY TO PULL SOMETHING LIKE THAT _EVER AGAIN_ I WILL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB UNTIL YOU'RE--”

“Until he’s what, Dr. Stein?”

They both looked at Willy, haloed in the light of the hearth. Shawn melted in love and happiness.

Ray let go of the frightened Irishman, and took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Be a doll, Willy, and put him on the couch tonight for me,” he said through grit teeth. Willy raised an eyebrow. “He _paid_ people to come onto me.”

“Well, what he does with his money is up to him,” Willy groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Shawn stuck his tongue out at Henry. “But was bastard Irishman drinking on a work night?”

“Nope,” Shawn replied proudly, puffing out his chest. “Not a drop!”

Willy pecked his lips and drew him inside the house, and Ray’s mouth dropped open. 

“Seriously?” he asked, voice creaking slightly. Willy shrugged. “Ya should’ve talked to Jo more.”

“You knew about this?” 

“Yeah. And honestly,” Willy folded his arms, leaning in the doorway. “I really thought you’d give in ta the temptation. So good on you for that, Henry. You’ve done us all proud.”

“I--” Henry gaped for a moment, then slumped his shoulders. “I didn’t. Give into temptation.”

“Oh?” Shawn’s face darkened, and he stepped up, accusatory. “So, ya didn’t fuck a _copy_ of the person who wanted to marry you and cried over you, swoonin’ head over heels for years?”

“Yes, I mean, no, I mean,” Henry groaned. “It’s complicated.”

“Did you or did you not?”

“I was inebriated,” Henry explained, darkening. Willy and Shawn glanced at each other. “That’s why I didn’t want to go to the bar. Not because of the people… because of the drinking.”

“Oh.” Willy patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Well, then, you shouldn’t expect any more accusations comin’ from the studio members. You have a goodnight, doc.”

Henry rubbed his face, trying to ignore the fact that he was still turned on from the events of the night, and was not looking forward to walking home.

“Well, if you’re not putting Shawn on the couch, could you at least give me a ride?”

“I’ll take ya,” Shawn offered, smiling from behind Willy. “Wills doesn’t like drivin’ at night, and everyone else has already hit the hay.”

Henry, swallowing his anger and pride, sighed; “Fine.”

Thankfully Shawn was silent the whole ride to the studio. Until the last moment, but up until then, it was blissful quiet. He parked the car, and looked at Henry with a smile.

“What’s that grin for?”

“What would you’ve said if _I_ had been the one to seduce ya?”

Henry’s jaw knotted. Truth be told, he had no idea what he would have said. His and Shawn’s escapades had gone longer than just the kiss in the toy department, and knowing their partners, neither of them would have done anything more than making out again-- or even more, being that Shawn could easily bring him home and Willy would not mind a night of three, and Johan rarely wanted to do anything of the sort. He looked at Shawn from the corner of his eye, knowing the look that the Irishman was sending him at the moment. Would he have pressed him to the car’s seat, straddling him, grinning down at him like that first time, biting and kissing along the side of his face? Would Shawn actually have tried, or wanted to? Shawn was not the type to discriminate against who his lovers were, and Henry knew that from experience. The man dated around, he kissed like a devil, perfectly terrible in all the right ways. Henry’s stomach lurched at the thought of it, at the thought of Shawn passing him a drink or calling him his hero or sitting on his lap and teasing him--

Henry shook his head out of his thoughts. 

“No.”

“What?”

“I would have said no.”

“Good lad.”

Henry bid him goodnight, and painstakingly made his way up the stairs to the penthouse. The inside was dark when he entered, and he sighed, glad no one was there to see him in his disheveled state. Slipping into their room, he quietly took his pajamas and took off his shirt and replaced it as fast as he could with the silk set Susie gifted him. He glanced at the pants in his hand and then down at the pants on his legs and bit his lip, trying to figure out the best way to swap them. He carefully sat on the bed and bit harder as he swiped them off, and exhaled harshly as he put on the silk bottoms. A whine broke out of his throat and he leaned forward, dark and trembling. 

Calloused yet soft hands slowly and gently wrapped around his middle, their warmth mingling with the heat of his stomach. A smile inched over his lips.

_Johan._

“Are you alright, d-darling?”

“Fine, now that I’m with you,” he murmured, sappily, honestly. Johan snorted, glassesless eyes squinting. Henry could not help a moan from escaping him, and Joey’s brows shot up with worry. “Honey, I’m just a little flustered.”

“Oh? What happened?”

The recount of the night poured from his lips before he could stop it. It ended with: “So, now I’m at half mast and everything feels more than it should.”

“Aw, poor sugar,” Johan pulled him into his arms, curling around him. “Do you want m-me to do, er, _somethin’_ to make you feel better or…?”

Henry blushed, knowing what ‘something’ meant. But he shook his head, smiling. 

“Just be with me, honeybee,” he hummed, cuddling against his chest. “That’s all I’ll ever need.”

A lovely silence settled over them.

“Also maybe fire Shawn.”


End file.
